Exercise Archives - Page 5 of 11

Beginner to 21km three-month running programme

This running programme has been designed to help running newbies get ready for their first 21km (half marathon).

Is your summer goal to run your first half marathon? Training for a half marathon requires gradual progression to build endurance, improve fitness, and prevent injuries. With this three-month programme, we’ll help get you there! Consistency is key – but so is the right running gear. To help prevent injuries along the way, make sure that you’re running in the appropriate footwear and kit (including a high-impact bra for women).

Before starting any new exercise programme, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional, especially if you have any existing health concerns. So chat to your GP if you have any queries.

Remember to listen to your body throughout the training programme. If you experience pain or discomfort, it’s important to rest. Additionally, practice good warm-up and cool-down routines to prevent injuries.

This plan has been designed for beginner runners who are capable of running for 20-30 minutes. If you’re not at this level yet, try our Clickfit Couch to 5km Challenge.

Month 1: Build Base Endurance
Days per week: 4

3 x EASY RUNS – 20 to 30 minutes at conversational pace.
1 x LONG RUN – Start with 6km and increase this each week by 1km-2km.
Cross-training – include cross-training activities in your week in addition to these runs. This could be: walking, swimming or cycling.

Month 2: Increase Mileage
Days per Week: 5

2 x EASY RUNS – 20 to 40 minutes at conversational pace (alternate days with longer runs).
2 x LONG RUNS – Continue to increase the long run distance by 2km each week (for example, your long runs should be near 10km by the end of month 1. Now, each week, increase by 2km, so that you start with 11km and by the end of the month, your long run is 15/16km).
1 x HILL TRAINING – Run hill repeats to improve strength and stamina.
Cross-training – include cross-training activities in your week in addition to these runs.
This could be: walking, swimming or cycling.

Month 3: Half Marathon Preparation
Days per week: 5

2 x EASY RUNS – 30 to 45 minutes at conversational pace (alternate days with longer runs).
1 x SPEED INTERVALS – (1 minute of fast running followed by 2 minutes of recovery running – continue to repeat for 30 minutes)
1 X LONG RUN – continue to increase mileage, finishing the last week with an 18km run.
1 X TEMPO RUN – add a weekly tempo run where you maintain a challenging pace for 20-30 minutes.
Cross-training – do one day of cross-training and ensure that you have one complete rest day, ideally after the long run.

RACE WEEK:

Focus on light jogging or short runs to maintain muscle memory and stay loose. Stay well-hydrated, eat balanced meals and ensure you get plenty of sleep.

Completing a half marathon is a significant achievement, especially for beginner runners. Stay committed, stay positive and enjoy the journey as you work towards reaching your goal!

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The best exercises to do during your period

It’s Women’s Month! We’re here to share informative content and create awareness around women’s health to help our members make informed decisions and live better quality lives.

During menstruation, most women experience fatigue, bloating, painful cramps, easily upset stomachs and breakouts. This may impact the type of sport you feel up to doing. However, light to moderate physical activity can have benefits such as reducing pain, improving mood and boosting energy levels. Try these activities:

Walking
Walking is a low-impact exercise that can be easily adjusted to your comfort level. It helps increase blood flow and can alleviate menstrual cramps and fatigue. Plus, exposure to nature and fresh air can instantly lift your mood.
Yoga
Gentle yoga poses can help stretch and relax the muscles, reducing tension and discomfort. Click here for a quick yoga routine to practise in the morning and evening during your menstruation.
Pilates
Pilates exercises can help strengthen the core and pelvic muscles, potentially easing menstrual pain. Look for Pilates routines that avoid excessive strain or pressure on the abdominal area.
Cycling

Whether you do this outside or at the gym, light cycling can be beneficial for some women, as it increases blood flow to the pelvic region and may relieve cramps. If using a stationary bike, opt for a lower resistance setting.

Swimming
Swimming is a low-impact exercise that can be soothing and alleviate muscle tension. The buoyancy of water can also reduce the feeling of heaviness some women experience during menstruation.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi is a mind-body practice that involves slow, flowing movements, which can be calming and help manage stress and discomfort.
Light Aerobics

Low-impact aerobic exercises like low-intensity dancing or aerobics can be suitable for some women during their menstrual cycle. Choose a fun, up-beat playlist to add extra mood benefits.

Listen to your body throughout this period. Remember to stay hydrated and take as many breaks as needed. If you have severe discomfort or pain during your period, speak to your medical doctor about lifestyle or medical changes that could improve your quality of life.

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Yoga Moves To Ease PMS Symptoms

August is Women’s month! To celebrate, we have some informative articles around women’s health. Read below for some great yoga moves that you can do at home to helo ease PMS symptoms.

Typically, PMS symptoms can include bloating, nausea, headache, irritability, fatigue and swollen, painful breasts as well as back pain. Yoga is a great exercise to do during this time of month because we are often fatigued and experiencing discomfort. Yoga is low-impact and low-intensity, making it an ideal workout.

These yoga moves are easy to perform at home in your own time to help ease PMS symptoms:

Seated Bound-Angle Pose

This is a great hip-opener and allows space for the belly to expand comfortably.

Sit down on a comfortable mat or a carpeted surface and bring the soles of your feet to touch. Place both hands on your feet while straightening your back and pulling your knees down to earth. Hold this pose for a minute, then release the legs out in front of you for 30 seconds before returning to the pose for a further minute. You can also hold the feet with one hand while placing the other hand over your lower belly.

Cat & Cow Pose

These movements gently massage your abdominal muscles while also stretching out your back.
Come down onto all fours in a Table Top position, knees and arms hip-width apart. Inhale as you lift your head to look up and drop your belly. Exhale to round your spine, press the floor with your hands and lower your head so that you’re gazing at your belly button. Do these moves slowly, with intention, focusing on the breath unti you’ve completed 10 to 12 rounds.

Wide-Knee Child’s Pose

This posture is also great for pregnant women and if you’d like to rest in the pose for longer than five minutes, you’re welcome to place a pillow beneath you.
Kneel on a mat or carpet and then open your knees wide before folding your body down onto the floor with your arms stretched out in front of you. Point your toes to touch behind you and extend your sit bones back so that your bum connects with your heels.

Hold for three to five minutes while focusing on your breath.

Reclined Twist

This posture is really relaxing and is great for relieving lower-back pain. It also stretches open your heart area while soothing the abdominal area.

Lie down on a comfortable surface, face-up, with your legs extending out in front of you, arms at your sides.

Bend your right knee and use your hand to guide it over to your left side, finding a gentle stack of the hips, right over left. Place your left hand on your bent right knee to gently deepen the twist. Keep your shoulders square while gazing the opposite way (to the right). Hold for 30 seconds (up to a minute), then release back to centre before doing the stretch on the other side.

Knees-to-Chest Pose

After your reclined twist, end with a simple knees-to-chest pose. This is great for releasing tension in the lower back.

From your position lying down on the floor, bring both knees in towards your chest at the same time. Gently wrap your arms around your shins. Clasp opposite elbows if this feels good. Concentrate on extending the back down onto the mat and elongating the spine. Actively relax your shoulders down the floor. Hold this pose for a minute and then gently begin to rock forwards and backwards, to massage the muscles around your spine.

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Try these three rowing exercises to boost your winter workouts

Rowing is such a great exercise because it’s low-impact, high-intensity and strengthens while boosting cardio fitness. Add these rowing workouts to your winter workouts for extra gains.

The Rowing Warm-Up
Add a 10-minute or 2km row (whichever lasts longer) to your morning workout. This is a great way to get the body moving and to warm-up all the muscles because. Click here to read more about form and posture.
10-Minute Rowing Interval Challenge
You will need to figure out what “strokes per minute” looks like for you in terms of what is “easy”, “medium effort”, “hard effort”, “very hard”. Your medium effort should feel harder than easy, but you could hold it for 10+ minutes. Your hard effort should feel much harder – so you’re tired after 2 minutes, but not so hard that you cannot continue (with the workout below). Very hard should be max effort (think of this like a sprint).

Workout:
2-minute easy effort (warm-up)
2-minute hard effort
2-minute medium effort
2-minute hard effort
2-minute easy effort (cool-down)
HIIT Combination Rowing Workout That Torches Fat – Advanced
Make sure that you have a mat and space around the rowing machine as you’ll be getting on and off the machine to perform the other workouts.
1. Row with good form for 500m (warm-up)
2. 20 Jumping squats
3. Row with good form for 200m
4. 20 Jumping lunges
5. Row with good form for 200m
6. 20 push-ups
7. Row with good form for 200m
8. 10 burpees
9. Row with good form for 500m (cool-down)

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How to use the rowing machine and its benefits

Here’s how to make the most of that rowing machine at the gym to strengthen your arms, back, legs and improve cardiovascular health, plus tips to prevent injuries.

Health benefits of the rowing machine

Rowing is one of the best full-body workouts, because it engages both the upper and lower body, strengthening muscles while increasing cardio fitness and endurance.
It is also both low-impact and high-intensity, which means that it’s easier on the body than, for example, running, but you still reap the benefits of cardio workout.
Rowing is accessible for all fitness levels.
It’s great for calorie burn and warms you up quickly – making it a great addition to winter gym workouts.

How to use the rowing machine

The rowing machine stimulates the action of water rowing and was initially created to train and exercise competitive rowers, but, because of its benefits (see above), it’s now used by all kinds of people.
Modern machines are often called “ergometers or erg machines”. The machine is very easy to use, but is often used with bad form, so read below to ensure your form is correct:
When getting on, start on a low resistance level until you’re comfortable. Strap your feet in, switch on the monitor and row:
Sit straight on the rowing machine seat with your arms straight out, holding the handles, knees and ankles flexed and back upright. This is called the “catch”.
Start by pushing your legs, to straighten, keeping your core contracted. Hinge your hips and lean back about 45 degrees, followed by the movement of your arms as you pull the rowing machine handle towards your torso. This is called the “drive” and should feel like a full-body flow.
You copy the drive movements but in reverse order to return to the “catch” position. You extend your arms, hinge the hips and bring your torso over the legs, bending your knees.

Prevent injury with these tips

Make sure to straighten your back, not rounding over. Slumping can put stress on the shoulders and back.
Engage your core during workouts to support your lower back and hips.
As a beginner, you must focus on maintaining the form rather than doing more strokes.

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Warm up quickly and burn calories with these 5 bodyweight moves!

We know that running or jumping on the watt bike will warm you up in no time, but what strength moves help you generate heat – and lose calories at the same time? Read more…

This set of exercise moves will heat up the body quickly and you’ll be burning fat and building muscle in no time.
You can do these moves from the comfort of your home. No equipment needed!

Move 1: Lunges

Set: Do 3 sets of 10 reps on each side, resting for 20 to 30 seconds in between. It should feel really hard by the end.

Advanced: Make one set – or all three – jumping lunges.

Move 2: Squats
Set: Do 3 sets of 20 squats, resting for 20 to 30 seconds in between. It should feel really hard by the end.

Advanced: Make one set – or all three – jumping squats.

Move 3: Mountain Climbers

Set: Do 3 sets of 30 seconds, resting for 20 to 30 seconds in between. It should feel really hard by the end.

Advanced: Go faster or extend the time to 40-45 seconds.

Move 4: Jumping Jacks / Star Jumps

Set: Do 3 sets of 30 seconds, resting for 20 to 30 seconds in between. It should feel really hard by the end.

Advanced: Extend the time to 40-45 seconds.

Move 5: Inchworm

Set: Stand up straight, then bend down and walk your hands out until you are in a shoulder plank and then reverse the move to standing. Do 10 of these (that’s one set), resting for 20 to 30 seconds in between sets.

Advanced: Add a push-up each time you are in the plank for extra arm strength. Alternatively add a jump when you are in standing position for extra leg strength.

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Safety tips for exercising with asthma

Asthma can occur at any point in someone’s life – but asthma does not prevent you from living an active life. Whether you or your loved one is an asthmatic, these safety tips are important to be aware of when exercising.

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects the airways in your lungs. It makes the airways inflamed and swollen, causing symptoms like coughing and wheezing. This can make it difficult to breathe.

People with asthma can have normal, active lives when they learn to control their asthma. People aren’t always born with asthma and can develop it later on in life, for numerous reasons.

Sometimes, aerobic exercise can trigger or worsen asthma-related symptoms. When this happens, this is called exercise-induced asthma or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). However, some types of exercise can reduce or prevent asthma symptoms. They work by making your lungs stronger without worsening inflammation.

Safety tips for exercising with asthma

It’s important to speak to your doctor about inhalers for pre-exercise treatment, long-term medication and oral medication that could decrease inflammation.

Always warm up before exercise. When you’re done, gradually stop the activity.
Wear a mask or scarf. Cover your nose and mouth when it’s cold outside.
Limit your exposure to pollen and pollution. If you’re allergic to pollen, exercise inside when pollen levels are high.
Avoid sports with continuous activity.
Avoid sports that are done in the cold.

Best exercises to do if you have asthma

Swimming
This is recommended because of the low exposure to pollen, as well as the moist, warm environment and low pressure of fluid on the chest. It is important to check that chlorine is not an irritant.
Walking and Hiking
Choose to walk or hike when the air is warm and pick terrain that is relatively flat. Cold, dry air could trigger an attack.
Sports with breaks – or bursts of activity

Choose a sport that allows some breaks in between, such as volleyball, golf, gymnastics and recreational cycling.

With World Asthma Day on 2 May, we wanted to help create more awareness about this condition and its effects. For more information, visit the Global Initiative for Asthma.

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Want to start walking for weight loss? This 4-week walking plan will get you there!

This plan is great to get you from the coach onto the road, whether you’re getting fit for the first time, recovering from an injury or being a new mom.

At the start of any fitness journey, it’s important to remember that it is a “journey” – with milestones in between – and nothing happens overnight. The key is to start training slowly and consistently. Walking – as an activity – is great for both physical and mental health.

Tips for success:

If you have the budget, get a fitness tracker. Being able to know how many steps you do daily and being able to track your heart rate is super helpful when it comes to exercise.
Find some favourite, go-to routes. Walking blocks around your neighbourhood is convenient, but for a change-of-scene, it’s a good idea to find a park, beach or safe hiking trail to keep you motivated.
Find someone to walk with – this will make the kilometres go by quickly! And walking in pairs or a group is often safer. If you have safe areas to walk alone, listen to an audio book or podcast while you walk to keep you entertained.
Invest in a good pair of walking shoes. A well-rounded pair of takkies (not sneakers) will help you enjoy walking more and prevent injuries.

4-week walking plan guideline

This plan is time-based for those who might not have an accurate fitness tracker. It’s also beginner friendly, so it might not feel like you’re doing that much to start – but at the end of the four weeks, you will have improved your fitness and health. Also, depending on your daily routine and work, you can split the time up into two shorter walks (morning and evening).

Week 1:

Monday: 10-minute walk

Tuesday: 15-minute walk

Wednesday: 15-minute walk

Thursday: 10-minute walk

Friday:15-minute walk

Saturday: 30-minute walk

Sunday: 20-minute walk

Week 2:

Monday: 15-minute walk

Tuesday: 20-minute walk

Wednesday: 20-minute walk

Thursday: 10-minute walk

Friday: 20-minute walk

Saturday: 40-minute walk

Sunday: 20-minute walk

Week 3:

Monday: 20-minute walk with hills

Tuesday: 25-minute walk

Wednesday: 25-minute walk

Thursday: 10-minute walk

Friday: 25-minute walk with hills

Saturday: 45-minute walk

Sunday: 20-minute walk with hills

Week 4:

Monday: 25-minute walk with hills

Tuesday: 30-minute walk

Wednesday: 30-minute walk with hills

Thursday: 10-minute walk

Friday: 30-minute walk with hills

Saturday: 60-minute walk

Sunday: 20-minute walk

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Easter-inspired home workout you can do with your little ones

Ready to hop, skip and jump into the long weekends this month? These workouts are fun, family-friendly and will help burn off those chocolate calories.

This Easter family-friendly workout is best done on a large space of lawn. You will need to lay down some towels for the floor work. Embrace your inner and visualise all the hard work a stealthy rabbit would need to do, in order to hide eggs without being caught.

Skipping warm-up:
Skip on the spot, lifting both feet at once, for one minute to warm the body up (you can do this with or without a skipping rope).
One-leg hop:
Hop on one leg ten paces and back again and then switch legs and repeat on the other side. Do this three times.
Bunny ups:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and put your hands on your thighs. Then, jump straight upwards, pushing your arms up into the air above your head and elongating your body. Land softly with bent knees, return to the start position. Do this 10 times.
Side-to-side jumps:

Start standing and bend your knees just before you start your jump. Keeping your feet together, push up through your heels and jump upwards and to the right. Land softly with your knees bent, and then jump up and to the left. Do this 10 times each side.

Drop the eggs:

A twist on touch-the-floor running drill, this workout move requires a bit of space and some markers (you can use bushes or trees in the garden too). Start from the centre of the garden and touch the floor, then run to a designated tree or bush and touch the floor and back to the centre, touching the floor again. Repeat, running and touching down at different points in the garden.

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6 Workout Moves You Can Do At Your Desk

Movement is key to maintaining good physical and mental health, but we spend so much time sitting at our desks! These micro movements are great to do during the work day when you need a little reset. Add them to your weekly routine by doing them each day. Bonus: You can also do these during a long flight!

Try these right now, while you’re reading this at your desk.

1/ Seated Core lifts:
Sit up tall in your seat. Contract your abs and lift one foot about 15cm off the ground. Hold for 10 seconds, then lower, relax your abs and repeat with the other foot. That’s one rep. Do these five times on each side.

2/ Seated Banded Abduction:
(You will need a mini-band for this one)
Wrap a mini-band below your knees. Sit up tall in your seat with your feet planted on the ground.

Push your knees away from each other. Slowly bring your knees back together. This is 1 rep. Do as many as you can in a minute.

3/ Armrest boosters:
You will need to use both armrests – and have a stable chair for this one. Sit tall with hands on the armrests and elbows bent and pointing back. Press into your hands to lift your butt off the seat. Return to start. That’s one rep. Do as many as you can in a minute.

4/ Seated Heel Raises:

Sit up tall, feet flat. Lift your heels as far as you can without lifting your toes off the floor. Hold for a second and then flatten your feet again. That’s one rep. Do as many as you can in a minute.

5/ Seated Toe Raises:

Sit tall, feet flat. Keeping your heels on the floor, lift your toes as high as you can. Hold for one second, then return to start. That’s one rep. Do as many as you can in a minute.

6/ Seated Glute Squeeze

Sit tall in your chair, with good posture.

Contract – squeeze – your glutes as hard as you can for 10 seconds, then relax. That’s one rep. Repeat 10 times.

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